Police set eye on Red Bull thefts

Veronica Rocha, veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Red Bull has become a target among thieves who can turn the relatively high-priced energy drinks around for a quick profit — prompting police in Burbank and Glendale to keep an eye on the resale market for the stolen goods.

Two men were arrested Wednesday after selling several stolen cases of the energy drink to small, independent stores that buy the discounted beverages and profit from sales, police said.

During an undercover Glendale police operation, detectives followed Jelbert Davoode, 29, and Jozef Allahyarian, 43, as they visited four small convenience stores in Glendale and Burbank to sell stolen cases of Red Bull at a discounted rate, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Davoode allegedly stole the 24-pack cases — which can go for up to $50 — from big-chain supermarkets, including Ralphs, Jon’s Marketplace and Smart & Final to resell the drinks for $18 to $25 per container, Lorenz said. The pair were arrested on suspicion of theft-related crimes.

“It has just become known about the thefts of Red Bulls,” Lorenz said.

For the retail chains, the thefts can add up. Smart & Final representatives told Glendale police that a spike of Red Bull thefts in the past few months had cost the business more than $10,000, Lorenz said.